Service difficulty report · Motor · Bolkms BK117C2

Difficulty date
April 16, 2009
Submitted
April 20, 2009
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N906GL
Make and model
Bolkms BK117C2
Aircraft serial
9089
Aircraft time
1,148 hours, 3,808 cycles
Part
Motor
Part number
S6220EC2
Condition
Seized
Location
Blower
Part time
1,148 hours
Stage of operation
AA
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
B
Precautionary procedure
A

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

AT CRUISE FLT OF 2000' MSL & 120 KNOTS, 4 MINUTES INTO FLT, AN ODOR OF "BURNING WOOD" DETECTED IN CABIN AREA & WITHIN SECONDS, IN COCKPIT. HAD JUST FLOWN 2 MILES OF A FARMER BURNING BRUSH ON THE GROUND AND THE SMOKE PLUME WAS ABOUT 1500' TALL. CREW DISCUSSED POSSIBILITY OF THE RESIDUAL SMOKE FROM GROUND FIRE ENTERING CABIN/COCKPIT AREA. WIND DIRECTION & STRENGTH OF ODOR DID NOT MAKE SENSE. AFTER 20 SECONDS, FLT NURSE REPORTED THAT SHE HAD JUST SEEN A WISP OF SMOKE EMITTING FROM OVERHEAD AIR VENT. ODOR & INTRUDING SMOKE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN FROM GROUND FIRE. TURNED OFF AIR VENT, OPENED COCKPIT SLIDING WINDOW TO GET RID OF ODOR & SMOKE & ENTERED A DESCENDING LT BANK TO AIRPORT. LANDED WITH NO OTHER INCIDENT & PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN & EGRESSED ACFT. OPENED COWLINGS ON ACFT TO EXAMINE ENGINE & OTHER COMPONENTS FOR SIGNS OF BURNING, OR LINE CHAFING, ETC. & FOUND NONE. A STRONG ODOR STILL EMITTED FROM OVERHEAD VENT IN CABIN. DIAGNOSED PROBLEM TO BE OVERHEAD FAN BLOWER OVERHEATED & "FREEZE UP". ACFT RETURNED TO BASE WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS & RETURNED TO SERVICE.